In copending application Ser. No. 08/359,697 filed Dec. 20, 1994 (Attorney Docket 263-1278), and printed International Application WO 96/19352 (the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein) a printing system and method are provided which are able to substantially simultaneously print a web of paper to produce discrete documents with selected non-variable information and vastly different variable information, rather than printing the variable and non-variable information at different locations. While the assembly and method set forth therein are highly functional, it has been found according to the present invention that under some circumstances, for certain types of print jobs, it is possible to eliminate one or more flexographic unit print decks associated with the printing system of the copending application--or for similar systems even if they do not include variable information printing at the same site--without sacrificing functionality. Elimination of, or the elimination of the operation of, one or more flexographic printing heads saves considerable setup time, money, and labor in the printing operations, and also can save significant capital investment if one or more units can be eliminated entirely, or dedicated for other purposes.
According to one aspect of the present invention a method of printing a web of paper using a plurality of flexographic print units, each having a flexible material print plate with a predetermined plate length, and for printing a full form depth, and using a computer control for the flexographic print units, at least a first of the flexographic print units printing plate having first and second continuous distinctly different print portions over the full form depth plate length, is provided. The method comprises: (a) at some points in time, sending print commands from the computer control unit to the flexographic print units, including the first flexographic print unit, to print the web with the predetermined plate length thereof; and (b) at different points in time sending a print command from a computer control to the first flexographic print unit to print the web with only the first print portion thereof, so that only part of a full form depth is printed by the first component, moving the first unit plate out of operative contact with the web after the first print portion of the plate prints the web.
In the practice of the method of the invention, there preferably is further (c) sending a command from the computer control to another of the flexographic print units, besides the first flexographic print unit, to print that part of the full form depth not printed with just the first print portion of the first print unit. In a preferred form of the method, a second of the flexographic print units has a second printing plate having first and second continuous distinctly different portions over the predetermined length thereof; and the method provides that (a) is practiced for the second flexographic print unit, and further comprises (d) at some points in time sending a print command from the computer control to the second flexographic print unit to print the web with only the first print portion of the second print plate so that only part of the full form depth is printed thereby, the second print unit print plate then moving out of operative contact with the web. Still further, the method of the invention further comprises (e) sending a command from the computer control to another of the flexographic print units besides the first and second flexographic print units to print that part of the form not printed by the first print plate portion of the second flexographic print unit.
In the practice of (b) of the method, the second portion of the print plate of the first flexographic print unit can be operatively disengaged by actually physically disengaging it from the web, such as by using a conventional throw-off. Also, the method may be practiced to print bills, and each form depth may be separated from the web to form a multi-page bill before sending (e.g. mailing) it to a customer. Also, according to the method (b) may be practiced to print a company or organization logo as the first print portion. Further, according to the method (b) may be practiced by printing a company or organization first logo portion of a first color with the first flexographic print unit first plate portion, and (d) may be practiced by printing a second portion of a company organization logo with a second color, different than the first color, and intermeshing with the first logo portion, with the second flexographic print unit print plate first portion.
According to another aspect of the present invention a printing assembly is provided comprising the following components: A plurality of flexographic print units each comprising an anilox roll, an impression cylinder and a plate cylinder having a flexible material plate, each plate having a plate length substantially corresponding to a full form length. A web passing through the flexographic print units between the impressing cylinder and plate cylinder of each. Means for operatively moving the plates mounted by the print cylinders into and out of print contact with the web to thereby either print or not print the web with each the plate. A computer control for sending print commands to each of the flexogrpahic print units moving means to selectively move the plates of each into or out of operative contact with the web, the computer control having a plurality of distinct nodes. At least a first of the print units having the plate thereof with first and second continuous distinctly different print portions each with a length significantly less than the full form depth. And the computer control having first and second distinct nodes of the plurality of nodes connected to the first flexographic print unit, the first node for sending a print command to the first flexographic print unit which effects printing of a substantially full form depth with the first unit print plate, and the second node for sending a print command to the first print unit which causes only the first portion of the first unit plate to print the web, less than a full form depth, and then for the first print unit print plate to move out of operative engagement with the web.
In the assembly described above a second of the flexographic print units may have the plate thereof with first and second continuous distinctly different portions each with a length significantly less than the full form depth; and wherein the computer control then has third and fourth distinct nodes of the plurality of nodes connected to the second flexographic print unit, for sending a print command to the second flexographic print unit which effects printing of a full form depth with the second unit print plate, and the fourth node for sending a print command to the second print unit which causes only the first portion of the second unit plate to print the web less than a substantially full form depth, and then for the second print unit print plate to move out of operative engagement with the web. The plurality of flexographic printing units preferably comprises at least two other flexographic printing units besides the first and second units. The means for operatively moving the plates mounted by the print cylinders into and out of operative contact with the web may comprise conventional means for actually moving the print cylinder, such as a throw-off, or may comprise a structure for moving the web away from the print cylinder, or not supplying ink to the second portion of the print plate in the case of the first and second flexographic print means, or other conventional structures for accomplishing that purpose.
Each flexographic print unit typically comprises an ink metering roll engaging an anilox roll, a compression cylinder, and a plate cylinder having a flexible material plate around at least part of the periphery thereof, the plate on the plate cylinder engaging the anilox roll, and the paper web passing between the plate on the plate cylinder and the impression cylinder. Also, the first print portions of the first and second print unit plates may comprise indicia which are intermeshing components, with different colored ink, of a company or organization logo.
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a simplified cost effective method and print assembly for printing a web of paper using a plurality of flexographic print units. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from a detailed description of the invention and from the appended claims.